Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Today, our friends Garrett, Roddy, Brynn and Aliza planted all kinds of good things, including radish, lettuce and spinach seeds in the second bed. They dug their holes, planted the seeds, carefully spacing them from each other, and watered.

We noticed that these same seeds, planted in the first bed the week before, were already starting to poke their heads out of the soil. The kids were very excited to see this. The lettuce looked like tiny clovers to the kids and we talked about how the lettuce would grow and how big it would get.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Students planted this week! We have basil plants in and then we sowed some seeds... radishes, spinach and lettuce. All have been watered daily with our handmade soda bottle watering cans and marked with plant markers made out of paint stirrers.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Ms. Joslin, Ryan Swain, and the garden ambassadors, planted and watered the first seeds.

Today, the children who would become the first school garden ambassadors were chosen. Bernadette, Ellie, Arhi and Lila planted radish, spinach and two types of lettuce seeds in the rich loamy soil.

They enjoyed digging the rows with their trowels and planting the tiny seeds. Research indicates that dirt does the body (and brain good). These girls loved the dirt and patted the soil very carefully back over the seeds after they were planted.

Questions such as "how long will it take the plants to grow" and "can I come again tomorrow" were the most commonly asked. It was wonderful to see these four kids playing and working in the soil and enjoying every moment of it.

(L to R) Lila, Ellie, Bernadette and Arhi looking at their handy work.

Lastly, they watered their newly planted seedlings with soda bottles that had caps with several holes drilled in the top. This made it easy for the kids to direct the water stream right on to the area that needed it. They took turns watering their sections, put their tools away, and went back to class with all the new knowledge they had gained about the planting process.